The Longest Time
by MoonCloud101
Summary: Matthew is a lonely boy looking for a friend. Alfred is an American who just moved next door. This is a story of their long-lasting friendship, and the blooming of their romance. Rating may change later on...
1. Chapter 1

"Okay Mathieu, it is time for you to go to bed."

Matthew nodded and did what his father told him, not one for arguing. He kissed his parents goodnight and started making his way to the stairs.

"Goodnight, Matthew. Sweet dreams." His mother said, smiling lovingly.

"See you in the morning." His father stated, an arm draped around his wife.

"Goodnight." Matthew responded and shuffled up the stairs. He opened the door to his bedroom and stepped into the neat, clean space. He was very organized, and not very messy. When he did make a mess, he always made sure to clean it up soon after. It made his parents happy.

Matthew had already gotten ready for bed; his teeth were brushed and he was wearing his favorite polar bear pajamas.

It was only 8:30, but Matthew had school in the morning. Getting enough sleep was important to him so he could learn lots the next day.

Grabbing his stuffed polar bear Matthew made his way to the window, remembering to close the curtains. But before he did, he looked up at the sky. Or at least he tried to; the house next door was so close to their own that only a small sliver of sky appeared to him. Matthew hated it.

The two buildings had a small conjunction; a smaller part of the houses jutting out, right below Matthew's window. If he wanted to, he could crawl out onto the little space of roof, and perhaps even sneak into the other empty house. Not that he would ever do that though.

The house was completely abandoned; no one had lived there for a few years now. Matthew wondered if anyone would live there again. Surely they would. Except for the closeness of that house and his own, there was nothing wrong with it.

Maybe they would tear it down if no one bought it. That would be nice too. Matthew might finally be able to look outside his window and enjoy the scenery. That would be much better than staring at a ghostly house.

Except now he wasn't just looking at an empty house. Suddenly Matthew found himself looking into another pair of eyes. He blinked in surprise and stepped back slightly.

There was another boy standing in the window across from him. Matthew stepped forward again, gazing curiously. A grin broke across the other's face and he waved excitedly. Matthew waved back shyly.

The boy held up one finger, and Matthew recognized the sign to wait. A look of concentration crossed the boy's features as he struggled to open the window.

Matthew blinked and tried to open his window as well, his stuffed bear tucked under his arm.

Eventually both boys had their windows open, and the other grinned widely.

"Hiya! My name's Alfred! I just moved in!"

"H-hi, my name's Matthew." The Canadian said shyly.

"Nice to meet you, Mattie!" Alfred said, already giving his new friend a nickname. "I'm really glad there's at least one other kid on this block!"

Matthew nodded slowly in agreement. There were almost no kids that lived on the street that Matthew could play with. It would be nice to have a friend right next-door.

Alfred started crawling out his window and onto the roof, slowly sitting down.

"Careful! Don't fall." Matthew called.

"Don't worry! I don't think I could fall!" He gestured to the very small space in between the two roofs, which was only about two or three feet wide. "Unless it was over the sides, but I won't so that!" He grinned.

Matthew watched him, uncertainty in his eyes.

"C'mon out, Mattie! It's awesome!"

A scared look passed over the Canadian's face as he examined the roofs.

"It's okay, I won't let you fall!" Alfred said.

"Alright..." Matthew replied, still unsure as he began to climb out his window, making sure his bear was secure under his arm.

Once Matthew was on the roof, Alfred scooted closer and offered his hands to the other to steady him. Matthew gladly took them, needing the support as he carefully sat down.

"There! Now we don't have to yell to hear each other!" Alfred exclaimed and Matthew smiled a little, amused that he was still talking loudly.

A moment passed and Matthew asked, "So where'd you move from?"

"New York city in America." The other replied, and

Matthew's eyes widened a little.

"That's really far away..." he murmured. "Why'd you come to Canada?"

"My dad got a new job, and he also thought the fresh air would be good for me. He didn't really like the city; he always worried too much."

"I see. So did you just move here?"

"Yup!" Alfred grinned "just moved in today!"

Matthew couldn't help but smile back. "Where're you going to school?"

"I'm going to Bear Creek elementary school." Alfred said happily.

"Oh really? That's where I go." Matthew smiled.

"Really! Awesome! Now I'll actually have a friend to talk to there!" He grinned brightly.

"F-friend?" Matthew stuttered, not knowing how to react to that. He didn't have very many friends, and those he did have usually left him out. It wasn't exactly their fault; Matthew was very easy to overlook.

"Yeah! We're going to be best friends!" Alfred exclaimed, his smile as bright as the sun.

Matthew couldn't help but smile back at that. He'd never had a best friend before. Except for his stuffed bear, Kumajiro, but that didn't really count.

A brief moment of silence passed and Alfred yawned, his mouth opening wide. Matthew held back his own yawn.

"We should get to sleep, we have school tomorrow." Matthew said, and Alfred nodded.

"Okay. See you tomorrow, Mattie!" And with that, Alfred slowly moved back towards his window and climbed inside. Once he was in the house, he turned back. "Night Mattie!" He closed the window and drew the curtains

"Goodnight, Alfred." Matthew murmured, even though Alfred was already gone.

Matthew crawled back over to his own window and climbed inside. Once he was safe in his own room, he closed the window and moved towards his bed, glancing at the clock as he did. He and Alfred had spent about 45 minutes talking to each other. It was way past his bed time.

The young Canadian climbed into his soft bed, yawning and hugging his bear to him tightly. His eyes slipped closed and his last conscious thought was how nice it would be to have a real friend.

**A/N: Quite honestly, I got this idea from a post on Tumblr I saw. I just had to write fanfiction to it. c: **


	2. Chapter 2

"Mattie!" A loud voice sounded behind the Canadian and he turned to see Alfred. The other was running towards him, trying to catch up before Matthew entered the school.  
"Hello Alfred." Matthew smiled at his new friend when he finally caught up to him.  
Alfred returned his smile, starting to walk into the school. "This is exciting! I can't wait to make some new friends!"  
Matthew followed behind, feeling his heart drop a little. What if Alfred found better friends than him, and stopped talking to him? The thought saddened him.  
Alfred noticed Matthew's expression and put an arm around his shoulder, sensing what the problem was. "Don't worry, Mattie. You're always gonna be my number one bro!" He reassured, and Matthew nodded.  
He really hoped that was true.  
The two young boys made their way to the second grade classroom, putting their backpacks on the hooks in the corner of the room.  
The class started to fill up as it got closer for school to start. Alfred dragged Matthew over to a group of kids and immediately started talking, introducing himself as the new student.  
Alfred was quick to make friends, laughing and talking with all of the students, while Matthew sat quietly behind him, too shy to say anything.  
"Mattie, why aren't you talking?" Alfred asked, turning his attention to the blond boy. Matthew glanced up, surprised to be dragged into the conversation. He looked around at the other kids, who were looking at him with annoyed and mocking looks. Matthew quickly averted his gaze again.  
The other kids didn't seem to like him much. They thought he was too boring and wimpy, and usually teased him constantly.  
Alfred frowned at Matthew's actions but shrugged and turned his attention back to the others.  
They continued to talk with Matthew sitting quietly behind Alfred until the teacher came in, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention.  
"Well, I see that everyone has met our new student, Alfred." She smiled at the American. "I hope everyone treats him nice and welcomes him to our class."  
The other kids nodded, smiling and talking to Alfred.  
"Now, let's start our lesson for today!" The teacher said, walking to the chalkboard to begin class.

It was recess time, and Matthew walked outside, holding a book and heading towards his favorite tree. He always liked to read at recess instead of play with the other kids.  
Alfred had gone to the bathroom before recess, so Matthew decided to meet up with him later. He wondered if Alfred would even talk to him, or if he would just go play with the other kids.  
Speaking of other kids, a few of them were approaching Matthew, and he felt his stomach drop.  
They were boys, all of them bigger than he was. They surrounded him quickly.  
"Hey, why does Alfred hang out with you?" The lead boy asked, walking close to Matthew, who stepped back. "He's too cool to hang out with a loser like you."  
Matthew said nothing, just kept his gaze focused on the ground.  
"What's the matter? Too stupid to say anything?" The older boy taunted, but Matthew kept quiet.  
"Mattie!" The sudden call sounded a ways away, and the group surrounding him quickly dispersed.  
Alfred ran up to him, grinning. "Hey dude!"  
"H-hi Alfred." Matthew responded, his voice soft.  
"C'mon! Let's go play!" Alfred said eagerly, taking Matthew's hand and dragging him over to a play set.  
Matthew left his book behind.

**A/N: Gosh, I'm such a terrible person, keeping you all waiting for so long. I'm really sorry, but my school life just kinda took over and I didn't have any time to write D: Hopefully updates will be faster though ^^ Please review, I want to know what you guys think of this story**


	3. Chapter 3

The bullying continued for a few weeks. The other kids picked on Matthew behind Alfred's back. Matthew however said nothing about, knowing it was better to just deal with it himself. He could handle it.

At least he thought he could.

The other kids had found him after school on the playground, waiting for his mother to pick him up.

"Hey, there's the wimp now!" One of them called, and Matthew quickly glanced up. He was on the swing, sitting and lost in his own thoughts until the other's came up.

They approached him quickly, and Matthew had the urge to run. He stood up from the swing, but before he could move his legs they surrounded him. There were five of them, all boys and bigger than he was.

"C'mon, can't you even talk? Or are you too scared?" A boy snickered, and Matthew cowered. The lead boy approached him and Matthew took a step back, but he stumbled and before he knew it the boy was in front of him.

"Say something! I don't know why Alfred hangs out with you, when we're so much cooler!" the boy scowled, prodding Matthew's chest with a finger. Matthew bit his lip, just wishing the others would go away.

The boy frowned at Matthew's silence and pushed him, trying to get him to at least make a sound.

He succeeded when Matthew squealed as he fell on the ground, the impact sending shivers up his spine. He landed right on his tail-bone.

The others snickered and laughed until a loud shout could be heard across the playground.

"Hey!"

Matthew and the other boys looked over to see Alfred running towards them, his face furious.

Within moments Alfred was in front of Matthew, growling at the other boys. "Leave him alone! What did he ever do to you?"

The others looked at each other in surprise and frowned.

"We were just wondering why you're friends with such a wimp. We're way cooler than him." the lead boy said.

"Mattie's my friend! You jerks aren't going to change that." Alfred said, crossing his arms.

"Well fine then! Play with the looser, see if we care!" the other shouted, stomping away as his friends followed. Alfred glared at them until they were out of sight before he turned to Matthew.

"How long have they been doing this?" Alfred asked, extending a hand to help Matthew up. The Canadian gladly took it.

"A-a couple of weeks." he said softly and Alfred frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Matthew looked away from Alfred and stared at his feet. "I-I didn't want to bother you."

Alfred sighed. "Mattie, I promised we were going to be best friends, right? That means that you have to tell me everything, 'cause that's what best friends do."

Matthew glanced up and nodded his head, sniffling a little.

"And anytime you're in trouble, just shout and I'll come save you, because I'm the hero!" Alfred grinned, walking over to Matthew and throwing an arm casually around his shoulders. Matthew smiled slightly, wiping some of the dirt off of his face.

"Now let's go home and play! My dad got me a new baseball and I really wanna play catch!" Alfred said, grinning widely as they began to walk.

Matthew nodded and smiled at Alfred, so glad that he had a friend like him.

**A/N: Ahh I'm such a bad person for writing such short chapters OTL my inspiration is running kinda low though... Please review, they really do help me**


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey, Mattie."

Matthew heard tapping on his window and went to go open it, already knowing who it was.

"Hi Al." Matthew said, opening the window and seeing Alfred crouching on the small roof connecting their houses.

"Wanna talk?" Alfred asked and Matthew nodded, crawling out through his window and onto the overhang, watching Alfred scoot back to make more room.

The two sat in silence for a moment, staring at the small patch of sky that was trapped between the houses.

Alfred was the first one to speak. "I can't believe we're starting middle school tomorrow."

"Yeah, me either."

"Are you scared?" Alfred asked, looking over to the other and hugging his knees to his chest.

"A little bit." Matthew admitted, moving into the same position as Alfred and resting his head on his knees.

"Don't worry bro, I am too. Just a little though." Alfred said.

"What if the other kids bully me again?" Matthew asked, thinking about all the experiences in his past. He just seemed like an easy kid to bully, he supposed.

"Then I'll save you, just like I always do." Alfred promised, "I'll never let anyone pick on you."

"But what if you won't always be there? What if you make new friends and leave me?" Matthew said, voicing his worries out loud. He had long since stopped keeping everything to himself, just like Alfred had wanted him to, back when the bullying first started. He became comfortable around Alfred, and told him everything. Just like best friends should.

"Mattie, I promise I'll never leave you. You'll always be my best friend."

Matthew swallowed thickly, hoping it was true. "Pinky promise?"

Alfred grinned and held out his little finger. "Pinky promise." Matthew reached out his own finger and hooked it around Alfred's, shaking it lightly before letting go.

"There's nothing to worry about, really." Alfred said. Matthew nodded and smiled.

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence once more, before Alfred thought of something else to tell the Canadian.

"Oh yeah! I'm going to try out for football this year too! It should be fun, even though it really won't mean anything 'till high school."

"I hope you make the team. It should be fun."

"Yeah! Maybe if I get on you can watch one of our games! Or you could join and we could play together!" Alfred said excitedly.

"O-oh, football's not really my thing." Matthew murmured, shaking his head.

Alfred groaned, "Then what is your thing? Dude, you have to take up some sort of after-school activity!"

"Well, I was thinking about hockey, I mean, I took lessons when I was little, but I'm not sure..." Matthew stated.

"You should at least try it out! And if it's not your thing, then you can try something else! But you're Canadian, so I'm sure you have a natural talent for hockey!"

Matthew ducked his head in embarrassment. "I guess I could give it a try."

"That's the spirit!" Alfred grinned, patting the other's shoulder, "You gotta open up more!"

Matthew sighed and nodded, "Yeah, I know. My father says that all the time."

"Well, anyway, it's getting late, and we should probably go to bed." Alfred said, glancing at his watch and seeing it was almost 10:30. "Don't want to be tired tomorrow!"

"Alright. Goodnight, Al." Matthew replied, standing and moving back towards his window, starting to crawl into his room.

"Night, Mattie. See you in the morning!" Alfred called, ducking into his own room and waving before he drew the curtains.

Matthew landed in his room with a light thud, closing the window and blinds and moving back over to his bed. His ever reliable polar bear plush was lying on the covers, waiting for him. Matthew picked it up and held it tightly to his chest as he got under the blankets and laid down.

He really needed to get rid of the thing, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He treasured it too much, and it was special. A gift from his grandmother, given to him when he was just a baby.

He didn't think he could ever part with the bear, no matter how much Alfred teased him for it.

Big kids didn't cuddle stuffed animals at night. Matthew knew this, and Alfred repeated it almost every time he saw the bear, but he just couldn't get rid of it. He knew Alfred understood, however. The other boy just liked to tease him.

Matthew thought back to the promise the two had made only moments before. He hoped it would remain true, and that the two of them would remain best friends forever. He had a feeling it would and smiled, closing his eyes to sleep, ready to face anything life threw at him as long as Alfred was by his side.

**A/N: Strange that I suddenly get inspired at 2 in the morning... wow, two chapters in (almost) one day? I must be on a role. **

**Please review, I love reading what you guys think of this!**


	5. Chapter 5

It was the first day at a new school. Matthew was nervous beyond belief. His fingers shook slightly as he tightened his hold on his backpack, his teeth chewing on his bottom lip. He hoped he wouldn't be bullied here, just like he had been in elementary school. The bullying had continued even when Alfred found out. It didn't happen very often; only when Alfred wasn't around to save Matthew. Even then the bullies were slightly hesitant, afraid Alfred would come bursting around the corner, yelling and shouting. Everyone knew that Alfred was a fighter, and that he was good. A few playground scuffles had occurred before, with Alfred always winning.

He was Matthew's hero. Which is why Matthew wondered when Alfred would swoop in to save him this time.

The Canadian didn't want to enter the building. It was huge and intimidating, glowering above him. Kids pushed past him, not even noticing the poor blond who was too frightened to enter.

What if the teachers didn't like him? What if he failed his classes? What if he got lost? What if kids teased him for every little thing he did? These thoughts rang through Matthew's head, unrelenting and only getting more panicked as time went on.

Oh god, he didn't want to go.

"U-um, excuse me, are you alright?" A tiny voice asked behind him, and Matthew turned to see a very pretty girl watching him, concern in her eyes.

"O-oh, yeah, I'm okay." Matthew replied, wondering why she looked so concerned about him.

She looked at him for a moment, and Matthew looked at her. She had ashy blonde hair, which was cut short and pulled away from her forehead by a white hair band. She was fairly small, though her body was already pretty shapely, especially for someone her age. She had beautiful blue eyes, that shined and sparkled whenever she moved.

"It's okay, I'm scared too." She said quietly, and Matthew felt his lip tremble. Was he really that easy to read?

"Maybe if we walk in together it won't be so bad." The girl suggested and Matthew nodded hesitantly. He opened the door and both of them walked in at the same time, observing their surroundings. A mass of kids swarmed down the halls, stopping to open lockers and talk to their friends. Matthew looked around, wondering if he could find Alfred. He looked for the familiar dirty blond hair and prominent cowlick.

He had no luck.

"Oh, um, my name's Katyusha, by the way."

"My name's Matthew." The Canadian responded shyly, glancing at the girl.

"It's nice to meet you, Matthew." Katyusha said, smiling at him kindly and Matthew couldn't help but offer a small smile as well.

He was glad he'd at least made one new friend today. Katyusha seemed nice, though she was rather timid, just like himself. The two of them made their way down the halls, searching for their separate lockers. Matthew said goodbye to Katyusha when she found her locker, and she waved back.

"I hope we have some classes together." she said, and Matthew nodded in agreement. "What grade are you in?"

"I'm in 7th grade." Matthew responded, and Katyusha frowned slightly.

"Oh. I'm in 8th grade. We may not have very many classes together."

"Well, we can always hope, right?" Matthew said, and Katyusha nodded and smiled.

"I'll see you later, Matthew."

"Yeah. See you." Matthew murmured and left, walking down the hall until he came upon his own locker. He entered the combination and swung it open, stuffing some of his books and other items inside. He was glad he'd met Katyusha. She seemed like a really good person, and Matthew knew they would be good friends. He smiled softly to himself.

"Mattie! There you are bro!" A loud voice called down the hallway and Matthew turned, seeing Alfred push through some kids and walk up to him. Matthew smiled wider when he saw the American.

"Hi, Al."

Alfred grinned at the other, bringing a hand up to ruffle his hair. "So, whatcha think of the school?"

"It's... kinda scary." Matthew sighed, telling Alfred the truth. "But, I made a new friend."

"Really? That's great Mattie!" Alfred smiled wider, patting Matthew's shoulder. "What's their name?"

"Um, her name is Katyusha."

"Oh, so it's a girl." Alfred's smile turned sly, and he raised an eyebrow. "Is she pretty?"

Matthew blushed. "Y-yeah, she is. But she's just my friend."

"Suuure she is." Alfred chuckled, nudging the Canadian with his elbow, grinning wickedly.

"She is!" Matthew sputtered, feeling flustered. Alfred loved to tease him.

Alfred just laughed loudly. "C'mon dude, let's go. We got math together, right?"

Matthew nodded. The two had compared their schedules as soon as they got them, glad to see they had most of their classes together. There were only two classes they had separately; science and their language class. Matthew decided to take French (since he already knew most of the language and it would be easy), while Alfred took Spanish.

The two walked to their class, Alfred rambling about how exciting and cool it was that they were in middle school. Matthew just chuckled softly. They really were opposites. Yet somehow, that fact balanced them out. They were perfect in each other's company, like yin and yang.

Alfred threw open the door to the classroom and pushed Matthew inside when he hesitated. Every head turned to look at them, and Matthew felt his face flush in embarrassment. He hated being the center of attention, especially if the people were strangers.

"Sup! I'm Alfred, and this is Matthew." Alfred said loudly, and Matthew tilted his head down, avoiding any eye-contact.

The teacher looked at the two with an unamused expression. "Alfred, please refrain from shouting. Now both of you take your seats." The boys both nodded and sat down in chairs right next to each other.

When the teacher's attention was diverted from the two, Alfred leaned across to Matthew. "Ugh, what a stick in the mud." Alfred rolled his eyes, gesturing towards the teacher. His name was Mr. Smith, if Matthew remembered correctly.

"Well, you shouldn't have shouted." Matthew pointed out.

"I didn't shout! I was just announcing our presence."

"Alfred, Matthew. Stop talking and please pay attention. We're going to start today's lesson." Mr. Smith narrowed his eyes at the two boys.

The two of them quickly closed their mouths and took out their notebooks.

)()()()()()()(

The day had finished rather quickly. Matthew and Alfred walked home together, discussing the events of that day. Matthew had found out that Katyusha had two classes with him; science and social studies. Alfred also had social studies with them, and Matthew had endure unrelentless teasing throughout the whole class by his best friend. Katyusha had seemed to find it amusing, especially as Matthew floundered about, his face becoming increasingly red. Alfred had just laughed at him.

Luckily it was over. Except that he'd have to put up with it tomorrow as well, Matthew groaned internally.

"So, what'd you think of school?" Alfred repeated the question from earlier that day, glancing over to the Canadian.

"It was... nice. I actually really enjoyed it." Matthew replied, smiling slightly. He hadn't been teased at all (save for Alfred, but Matthew knew he meant it harmlessly), and the teachers seemed fairly nice. "What about you?"

"It was awesome." the other grinned, "I made a bunch of new friends." when Matthew frowned slightly, Alfred put a reassuring arm around the other. "Don't worry. You'll always be first. I made a promise, didn't I?"

Matthew nodded and they walked home together in silence, their arms around each other's shoulders.

**A/N: Okay, so there may be some Ukraine/Matthew little fling that goes on later, but don't worry, it won't last long. I'll get Mattie and Al together eventually ouo**

**Also, I have two ideas of ways to end this story. One is filled with drama and probably a lot of feelings, while the other is just all happy and fluffy and what not. What do you guys think I should do? (I'll put a poll on my account to make it easier for you all to vote.)**


	6. Chapter 6

7th grade came and went in a blur, and before Matthew knew it he and Alfred were entering 8th grade.

Middle school hadn't been as bad as Matthew expected. He did get teased and picked on early in the year, but that stopped when kids figured out if you messed with Matthew, you messed with Alfred. And nobody wanted to mess with Alfred. A few broken noses had been the consequence of picking on Matthew, and it quickly stopped.

Matthew was still incredibly shy, and didn't make many friends. He didn't care though, as long as he had Alfred and Katyusha. They both cared deeply for him, and Matthew wouldn't know what he'd do without them.

Sadly, Katyusha was moving up into high school, while Matthew stayed in the middle school. He would miss her, but he knew in just a year they'd be together again. Until that happened, Matthew took every chance he could to hang out with her. She, Alfred, and Matthew got together nearly every weekend. Alfred liked Katyusha, and thought she was a good friend for Matthew, and even hoped it could turn into something more.

Alfred had gotten a few girlfriends through middle school, and wanted to share the joy of relationships with Matthew. He constantly dropped hints to Matthew about Katyusha, and always tried to get them alone together. This only caused some light blushing and awkward mumbling from the two of them, much to Alfred's exasperation.

It didn't help that Matthew was going through some internal confliction. He liked Katyusha, but he didn't exactly know in what way. He didn't notice her the way other boys did; he wasn't attracted to the bounce of her breasts or the sway of her hips. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He began to think that maybe he wasn't attracted to girls, but instead to guys.

All of this worried him. He was afraid to voice his suspicions to Alfred, fearing the other would look at him in disgust and not want to be his friend anymore. He didn't know who to go to.

Matthew glanced at his clock, seeing it was almost noon. He was still laying in bed, it having been a lazy Saturday morning. Grabbing a pillow, he covered his face with it, groaning as troubling thoughts plagued his mind. He needed to tell someone. He needed help.

Matthew reached his arm over to his bedside table, blindly grabbing for his phone. Eventually he felt the device and grasped it in his hand, bringing it over to him. He took the pillow off of his face and glanced at his phone, browsing through his contacts until he spotted the one he was searching for and quickly hit the 'call' button.

"Hello?" The sweet and familiar voice sounded when the ringing stopped.

"Hey Kat." Matthew said, using the nickname he had given her long ago.

"Oh, Matt! How are you?"

Matthew ran a hand through his hair. "I'm good. I was just wondering if we could hang out today."

"Yeah, sure! Where?" She asked.

"I was thinking down by the park."

"Okay, that sounds good. Is Alfred coming?"

"No, it'll be just us today."

There was silence for a moment as Katyusha thought about that, no doubt wondering why Alfred wouldn't be there. He always came along.

"Um, alright. What time should we meet?" She questioned.

"How about 1:30?" Matthew suggested, and blinked when he heard sudden screaming in the background. Katyusha's sister was probably chasing her brother again. He could hear the elder of the siblings scolding the two, before returning her attention back to the phone.

"Ah, i'm sorry about that. Natalia and Ivan again." She sighed. "And yes, 1:30 sounds good. I'll see you then Matt. Bye."

"Bye." Matthew responded before hanging up the phone and lying in his bed for a moment. He hoped he wasn't going to ruin their friendship by voicing his suspicions to her. Katyusha was a nice person, surely she'd understand. Matthew really hoped she would as he climbed out of bed to get ready for the day.

)()()()()()(

"Matthew!"

Matthew looked up when he heard his name called, smiling when he saw Katyusha approach him. She had gotten even prettier since the last time he saw her, her body filling out and her face becoming less childish and more adult like.

"Hey Kat." He said when she finally walked up to him. She sat down beside him, resting her back against the large tree they were next to.

"So, what's up? Is Alfred sick?" Katyusha asked, looking over at Matthew.

"No, I just didn't want him here today." Matthew murmured, and Katyusha's brow furrowed.

"Are you two having a fight?"

Matthew blinked in surprise. He and Alfred had never had a fight. Not a serious one at least. "No, nothing like that."

Katyusha seemed to become even more confused and Matthew sighed, trying to collect the nerve to say what was really on his mind.

"Um, well..." Matthew started, feeling his face heat up from embarrassment and nervousness. Katyusha waited patiently for Matthew to speak again, keeping her ocean-blue eyes on him.

"I...I think I'm gay, Kat." Matthew finally got out, looking down at his feet and waiting for Katyusha's response.

Katyusha didn't say anything for a long moment, and when Matthew finally looked at her, he saw sadness in her eyes.

"O-oh." She murmured, looking away. "Are you sure?"

"I think so." Matthew replied, sighing heavily. "I just, don't notice girls the way I do boys."

"Well... here, let's try something, just to make sure." Katyusha suggested, and Matthew looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mea- oh." Matthew understood when he saw how red Katyusha's face was getting. His own face started to heat up at the idea.

Matthew hadn't had his first kiss yet, but he wouldn't mind loosing it to one of his best friends in the world. As long as it was with someone he cared about, he didn't think it'd matter. "O-okay, let's try."

Katyusha scooted closer to him, and Matthew awkwardly leaned forward. The two of them looked at each other, and Matthew felt his heart beat increase. After a few awkward moments Katyusha finally crossed the small distance between them, pressing her lips softly to his. Matthew did nothing, just took in the feeling of having someone else's lips against his own. It was nice.

They both started to move their lips gently, creating a quiet rhythm as Matthew examined how he felt about this. It was indeed nice; the feeling of warm lips molding against his own, of having someone he cared about pressed close to him. But it felt wrong, in some way. There was no connection, no feeling that this was right.

Matthew repressed a shudder and gently pulled away, opening his eyes again. He was met with Katyusha's calm blue orbs, blinking up at him.

"Y-yeah, I think I'm gay." Matthew sighed, looking away from her. He heard her intake of breath, and glanced up to see her eyes water.

"Are you positive?" Katyusha asked.

"Pretty sure. It didn't feel right." Matthew murmured and Katyusha nodded, swallowing thickly. It took Matthew a moment to figure out why Katyusha seemed so upset, but when he finally did he felt his heart clench. She must've liked him. More than a friend.

"I-I'm sorry, Kat..."

"I-it's okay, it's not your fault." Katyusha replied, swiping at her eyes. She took a deep breath and then smiled at Matthew. "So, do you like anyone?"

Matthew blinked at her sudden change in behavior, but was glad they could move past the topic. He was happy they would still be friends, and that she didn't care about his homosexuality. "Um, not really at the moment." He replied in answer to her question.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure someone will come around eventually." She smiled warmly at the Canadian and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah. And thanks for understanding. You're the first person I've told." Katyusha seemed to be surprised by this.

"You haven't told Alfred?"

Matthew looked away. "No. I-I'm afraid he'll think I'm weird and won't be my friend anymore."

"Matthew, how long have you and Alfred known each other?"

Matthew turned back to gaze at Katyusha, seeing a small frown on her face. "Since second grade."

"Then he's not going to stop being your friend over something like this. Your friendship is too strong."

Matthew just sighed, shaking his head. "Y-yeah, but what if-"

"Matt." Katyusha interrupted before Matthew could say anything. "You two are best friends. And trust me, you're probably going to be best friends for a while. Just tell him. I'm sure he won't mind."

"Okay." Matthew let out a breath and nodded. "Thanks, Kat."

"Anytime, Matt." Katyusha replied before pulling him into a tight hug. Matthew hugged back, smiling and so happy he had such a great friend.

"So, do you wanna get ice cream or something?" Matthew suggested when they pulled away.

"Ice cream sounds amazing." Katyusha smiled, and at that, the two stood up to go find an ice cream shop.

**A/N: Guys, I really wanna know your opinion on how I should end this story. All the fluff and cuddles in the world, or really dramatic with some fluff at the end? **

**Please review or answer my poll and tell me what you think! ^.^**


	7. Chapter 7

The familiar knock sounded at Matthew's window and he grinned, walking over to open it. He was met with Alfred's smiling face, looking brighter than usual.

"Matt, dude, you gotta come see this! It's a meteor shower!" Alfred exclaimed, his eyes filled with delight.

Matthew quickly climbed out of his window and onto the roof, turning his head to the sky. He and Alfred came out here almost every night, but never before had something like this happened. As Matthew gazed at the small sliver of sky between the two roofs, he could see stars shooting across it, sparkling and lighting up the sky.

"Oh wow." He breathed, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"C'mon, let's get a better view." Alfred grinned, scooting closer to the edge of the roof.

"Alfred, it's a high drop! Let's just use our front doors."

"But what if we wake up our parents? Plus, this is much more fun!" Alfred said, his legs hanging off of the roof.

"You're going to break your legs." Matthew stated, worry filling his eyes.

"Don't worry bro! I'm going to hang off the roof with my hands so it won't be as bad. Just watch, I'll be fine." Alfred smiled, turning around and slowly lowering himself off of the roof. Matthew watched him, chewing on his bottom lip as Alfred dangled by his hands. Soon he let go, landing on the ground with a thud. Matthew quickly scooted over to the ledge, glancing over and breathing a sigh of relief when he saw Alfred's grinning face.

"See? That wasn't bad. Now your turn." Alfred said, looking up at the Canadian.

"N-no, it's too high up." Matthew said, swallowing as he eyed the ground below.

"Don't worry, I'll catch you!" Alfred reassured, opening his arms to demonstrate.

Matthew sighed, knowing Alfred would tease and taunt him until he came down. He knew it would be pointless to resist. Plus, he really wanted to see the meteor shower, and knew they were just wasting time.

"O-okay. You better catch me." Matthew said before he turned around and let himself dangle off of the roof. He closed his eyes and let go, soon feeling himself hit a warm body and strong arms wrap around him. His feet hit the ground and he lost his balance, but the body behind him kept him steady.

"See? Told you I'd catch you!" Alfred exclaimed, his head close to Matthew's ear. Matthew was suddenly blushing at their closeness and pushed himself away.

"T-thanks, Al."

"No problem. Now c'mon, let's go into my backyard and lie down." Alfred said, moving to open the fence that lead to his backyard, holding it open for Matthew. The Canadian stepped onto the property, keeping his head tilted to the sky as he watched the falling stars.

"Let's lie in the grass." Alfred said, guiding Matthew over to a spot and pushing him down. Matthew laid flat on his back and watched as Alfred laid down next to him, before returning his gaze back to the sky.

"There are so many." Matthew murmured, his voice full of wonder.

"Yeah. Hey, we should make a wish!" Alfred smiled brightly, keeping his eyes on the sky. Soon enough the American closed his eyes, mumbling something under his breath, making his wish.

Matthew blinked up at the stars, wondering what he should wish for. His life was good; he had loving parents, did well in school, and had the best friend in the whole world. The only thing was that he still hadn't told Alfred he was gay yet. The only people who knew were his parents and Katyusha. Maybe he should wish for the courage to tell the American.

Matthew sighed, closing his eyes as he thought of his wish, wondering if it would come true. He murmured it under his breath and opened his eyes, only to be met with Alfred's bright blue ones.

"What'd ya wish for?" The American asked, smiling widely.

"I can't tell you, otherwise it won't come true." Matthew replied, smiling a little at the other's expression.

"Oh come on! I wanna know! Can't you tell me?" Alfred whined, rolling over onto his stomach.

"Nope. I want it to come true." Matthew responded, and Alfred pouted playfully.

"I won't tell anyone. Just tell me!"

Matthew laughed and shook his head. "No way."

"Maybe I'll just have to force it out of you then!" Alfred grinned mischievously, and before Matthew could question it, Alfred's fingers were under his arms, tickling him furiously.

"Ah! St-stop!" Matthew laughed loudly, squirming and flailing; trying to escape Alfred's merciless fingers.

"Not until you tell me!" Alfred said, laughing along with Matthew.

The whole thing felt very nostalgic to Matthew. Alfred had tickled him all the time when they were younger, but it had been a while since anything like this had happened. It felt nice. It was a chance to ignore the fact that both he and Alfred were growing up, and wouldn't feel like playing like this anymore. Right now they could ignore the rest of the world and just focus on being kids again.

"Stop!" Matthew giggled, finally getting up on his feet and running away from Alfred.

"Get back here and tell me!" Alfred called, getting on his feet as well to chase after Matthew. The Canadian squealed and ran, circling around Alfred's backyard, trying to escape him. He knew it would be pointless in the end; Alfred would catch him eventually. He did play football after all.

Just as Matthew thought, he could soon hear Alfred right on his heels, and it wasn't long before a body collided with his from behind, arms wrapping around him to keep him in place as they both fell to the ground with a thud. Alfred quickly pinned the Canadian with his body, laughing loudly.

"Got you!" He crowed between fits of laughter, and Matthew couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Shh! Your dad's gonna hear us." Matthew giggled, squirming beneath Alfred.

"Naw. I swear he's starting to go deaf!"

"Maybe because you talk so loud all the time." Matthew pointed out, smiling brightly.

"I do not!" Alfred said loudly, and Matthew just shook his head, a chuckle escaping his lips.

Alfred rolled off of the other, sticking out his tongue childishly. Matthew stuck out his own tongue and smiled, turning over to watch the sky again. Alfred did the same, moving onto his back and pillowing his arms behind his head.

They laid that way for a while, and Matthew suddenly remembered it was a school night.

"Oh crap! We should get to bed, we have school in the morning." He said, standing up.

Alfred's eyes went wide and he cursed. "I totally forgot! Yeah, c'mon, let's go." He said, standing as well and moving to the fence, opening it. Matthew followed behind, cursing himself for not remembering sooner. Both of them would be dead tired tomorrow.

Matthew couldn't help but think it was worth it.

**A/N: Please review, hearing what you guys think really does inspire me and makes me want to write faster. I'm sorry i haven't been updating frequently; life's been really busy**


	8. Chapter 8

It had been nearly three years since that night, and Matthew still remembered every second of it. Why? Because he had the lingering feeling that he was in love with Alfred.

He noticed everything about the other; the way he moved, strong and confident as he walked down the hallways of the school. The way his dirty blond hair framed his angular face. The way his white teeth sparkled whenever he smiled.

It was hopeless. Matthew knew he was in love.

He did eventually tell Alfred he was gay. That had been a huge relief off of the boy's shoulders. It had been the beginning of high school, and Matthew was crushing on one of the boys in his class. It turned out the other boy liked him as well, and they started dating. Matthew had told Alfred then, and it turned out Alfred was completely okay with it.

"You're my bro, and I don't care if you have a thing for dicks. You're still Matthew." Those had been the American's exact words, and for some reason they made Matthew's heart flutter.

Matthew and his boyfriend had been going out for a few months when they broke up. In that time, Alfred had gone through at least four girlfriends. He was a stud in the high school. Every girl wanted him. Matthew couldn't help but feel jealous.

It was after one particular girlfriend, one that was way too grabby, that Matthew began to realize his feelings for the other. With every kiss Alfred and the girl shared, Matthew frowned, and imagined what it'd be like if he was in the place of that girl. Having Alfred's lips on his mouth, moving heatedly with his own. His strong arms wrapping around his waist, pulling him even closer as the kiss became more passionate...

That's when Matthew realized he was in love with his best friend. But he couldn't tell him. He just couldn't. There would be a chance that everything would fall apart. But there was also the chance that Alfred would return his feelings and everything would work out, but Matthew knew those chances were very, very slim. Alfred was absolutely, 100% straight. He'd had nothing but girlfriends his whole life. Matthew knew it was hopeless. For the moment, he was just happy being friends with Alfred. At least he got to see him every day and talk to him every night on their almost conjoining roofs.

Right now, Matthew thought everything was perfect. He and Alfred were almost seniors, and began to think about college. Matthew really wanted to study film and photography, and Alfred wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do with his life. He figured he'd go to whatever college Matthew chose and mess around with his best friend until he picked a subject to study seriously. They would be college buddies. Best friends forever, just as promised.

Matthew studied hard in school, while Alfred slacked off. The Canadian repeatedly tried to tutor the stubborn American, but soon gave up on it. Alfred just couldn't' t take it seriously. But when Matthew had said they might not get into the same college unless Alfred got better grades, Alfred seemed to realize it was true. He began to study more, and soon was at a B average. Everyone was happy, and within two more years, the boys would be going off to college together to explore the world.

Matthew couldn't wait. It would be just him and Alfred against the world, and nothing else mattered.

"Hey, Matt!" A voice broke into Matthew's thoughts and he glanced up, spotting his friend Gilbert approaching him.

"Hi, Gil." Matthew smiled warmly as Gilbert came and wrapped his arm casually around Matthew's shoulders.

"What're you doing out here all alone?" The white-haired boy questioned, glancing around the nearly empty school library.

"This is my off period. I'm just trying to finish my homework." Matthew responded, looking back down at the book he was reading.

"That's totally not awesome! You're so boring, Matt. C'mon, let's go do something fun." The self-proclaimed Prussian grinned wickedly, closing Matthew's book.

"Hey! Gil, c'mon, I'm trying to work. " Matthew huffed, looking up at the other's red eyes.

"But that's lame. We can go do something much more, entertaining." Gilbert winked, and Matthew felt heat rise to his cheeks. Gilbert was always like this; loud and suggestive and sometimes a real pain in the ass. Matthew wasn't quite sure if Gilbert liked him in that way, or if he was just being a flirt. But to Matthew, Gilbert was just a really good friend.

"No, let me do my homework." Matthew said.

"Well you're no fun." Gilbert pouted, crossing his arms. Matthew sighed.

"Maybe after school we can go do something." He suggested, and immediately Gilbert's eyes brightened.

"Yeah! Get Alfred to come too." He grinned, and Matthew flushed slightly at the mention of the name, and the wiggle of Gilbert's eyebrows.

"Alright, fine. Let me do my work now." Matthew said, shoving the other away as he laughed. Gilbert nodded and left, leaving Matthew to his homework.

)()()()()()(

"So, where're we going?" Alfred asked Matthew, who was in between the two.

"Um, we could probably go to the park." Matthew suggested, and the other two nodded.

The three of them continued walking, and when the park came into sight both Gilbert and Alfred ran to the swings. Matthew laughed, following behind them more slowly. It was a beautiful day, and the smell of spring was in the air.

"Mattie! Push me!" Alfred called childishly, grinning from ear to ear. Matthew smiled and nodded, moving behind Alfred to give him a push on the swing. Alfred laughed, and Matthew couldn't help but laugh as well.

Gilbert got off his swing and moved next to Matthew, slowly pushing him aside and grinning as he shoved the swing, causing Alfred to flail off of it and land on the ground. Gilbert laughed loudly and Alfred immediately turned around and ran after the Prussian.

"Oh shit!" Gilbert shouted, turning and running from the oncoming American. It was useless though; Alfred was a great runner and soon he had tackled Gilbert to the ground. By the time Matthew got over to them, both were laughing uncontrollably.

They stood up, dusting off their clothes, chuckles still escaping their mouths. Matthew suggested they all go get ice cream, and they nodded eagerly.

The three of them walked into a small ice cream shop, located just across the street from the park. It was a smart place to put it; kids playing in the hot sun would want something cold to eat, and would immediately go to the refreshing ice cream shop. They all got their usual ice cream; Alfred got chocolate, Gilbert got strawberry, and Matthew got plain vanilla. After everyone got their cones they headed outside again, eating their ice cream along the way.

Alfred and Gilbert were finished soon enough, while Matthew wasn't even half way through his. He always liked to eat his ice cream slow.

The other two boys ran off while Matthew finished his frozen treat, licking the sweet cream slowly. They began play fighting again and Matthew couldn't help but smile affectionately as he watched them. His friends always made him smile.

Soon he finished his ice cream, taking the last bite of the cone. Gilbert saw and came jogging back towards Matthew while Alfred tried his best to climb one of the tallest trees in the park.

"All done?" Gilbert asked and Matthew nodded, licking his fingers to make sure he got everything. "Then let's go see if that idiot breaks his neck climbing that tree." Gilbert grinned.

Matthew chuckled. "Alright." he said, and started walking beside Gilbert towards the tree Alfred was currently occupying. A large hand suddenly pushed him down and he found himself falling, Gilbert landing on top of him.

"h-hey! What're you-" Gilbert cut him off with a finger to his lips and a grin.

"Sh, just testing something." he said, "And you do look rather nice from this angle." he winked.

Matthew felt his face flush and he struggled a bit. "Gilbert, let me up."

"Sorry, Matt, no can do. I think I like it like this." he grinned, winking once again.

Matthew was about to reply when another voice interrupted him. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Matthew recognized it as Alfred's voice, and turned his head, seeing the other running towards them.

"Just as I thought." Gilbert chuckled to himself, before looking up at Alfred. "Hey, wanna join?" he smiled suggestively.

"Like hell I do." Alfred responded, finally reaching the two and tackling Gilbert off of Matthew. The two scuffled for a bit, Matthew slowly sitting up on the grass. He wondered what it was Gilbert was trying to test. Whatever it was, it was probably really idiotic. Gilbert was known for being a little dumb in the head. Matthew chuckled lightly and watched the two, smiling softly, waiting for them to finish so they all could go home.

**A/N: Wow, I am so so so sorry everyone! It's been so long since I updated OTL. I promise I'll never abandon this story though. Every story I post here will be completed eventually. I know how much it sucks to read an abandoned fanfic. **

**My apologies again. I'll try and update faster. **

**Please review, so I know what you guys like and don't like, and can incorporate it into the story! (someone asked for a flirty Prussian, so here. I gave it my best shot OTL )**


	9. Chapter 9

Matthew was surprised when he heard a knock on his window that night. It had been a while since he and Alfred had talked on the roofs. He quickly stood up from his desk and opened the window seeing Alfred's handsome face smiling at him.

"Hey." the American said.

"Hi." Matthew responded, climbing out of his window and onto the roof. Alfred scooted back onto his own side.

"It's been a while since we've done this, huh? I thought it'd be nice to do it again." Alfred said, and Matthew nodded, sitting down and pulling his knees to his chest. Alfred leaned back on his hands and looked up at the sliver of sky, clouds blocking out most of the stars. It was quiet for a moment, the only noise coming from the crickets and the soft breeze that ruffled the leaves in the trees.

"Man, I can't believe we're gonna be seniors next year." Alfred murmured, his face uncharacteristically serious.

"I know. It's gone be so fast." Matthew replied, watching Alfred for a moment before tilting his own head towards the sky.

"Yeah. Soon we'll be out of the house, living on our own, going to college, and starting a life." Alfred said softly.

Matthew nodded, a little concerned that Alfred was being so quiet.

"To be honest, Mattie, I'm kinda scared." Alfred murmured, and Matthew blinked in surprise, moving his head to look at Alfred again. The other was looking back, blue eyes concerned, and Matthew could see fear in their depths.

Matthew scooted over the edge of the roof, shuffling over the crack and onto Alfred's side. He pulled the other into a tight hug. "It's going to be okay, Al." he murmured.

Alfred sighed, but hugged him back, just as tightly. "I know, but I'm still scared. What if I mess up? What if I can't handle it? I don't want this responsibility. From now on each choice I make affects my life."

"You'll be fine." Matthew said, lightly running his fingers through Alfred's hair, taking joy in their closeness at this moment. "We're in this together. I'll always be here for you. We can make mistakes together, and laugh about it later."

Alfred looked up at him. "Promise?"

"We already did when we were younger remember?" Matthew let a small chuckle slip past his lips.

"I don't care. Let's promise again."

"That's a bit of a hassle, but if you want to, fine." Matthew said, releasing Alfred from the hug and holding out his pinkie finger. "I promise."

"And I promise I'll always be here for you too." Alfred said before linking their fingers together and shaking. After they released their pinkies a giant grin spread on Alfred's face. "Thanks, Mattie."

"Anytime, Alfie." Matthew said, and blushed slightly when he noticed he used the nickname for Alfred he used when they were kids. Alfred didn't seem to notice it though.

"I'm still scared, but not as much anymore. As long as I have my best friend by my side." Alfred smiled happily, and Matthew was glad he was back to his normal self.

"Yeah. I'll be your best friend forever." Matthew said, though his heart clenched at these words. How he wished they could be more than friends. But things were pretty good the way they were, and Matthew was happy. As long as Alfred was with him, he would always be happy. Nothing else mattered.

Alfred smiled and leaned back against his window, once again watching the sky. "Hey, Mattie?" he said after a moment, and Matthew looked up.

"Yeah, Al?"

"Do you like Gilbert? Cause he sure seems to like you." Alfred stated.

Matthew blinked at the random question. "Well, I like him as a friend."

"Good." Alfred breathed a sigh of relief. "No offense, but he's a total asshole. I would've thought you'd gone crazy if you were together with him."

"Yeah, don't worry about that. I don't know what his problem was today though, he's never done that."

"I know, I saw. That creep had better leave you alone. I don't like him touching you." Alfred crossed his arms.

Matthew's eyebrows furrowed as he thought about Gilbert's actions, and what he said. Alfred's words just now confused him a little too. Was he jealous? Or just protecting him? Gilbert really wasn't all that bad. Suddenly Matthew had a feeling he knew why Gilbert pinned him down on the playground. He certainly was testing something.

Matthew's cheeks flushed slightly. He was testing Alfred. What exactly the results were though, Matthew hadn't the slightest clue.

"Well, it's getting late." Alfred said, breaking Matthew out of his thoughts. "We should go to bed. Thanks for talking to me, Mattie."

Matthew smiled and nodded. "Of course, Al." he said, and Alfred pulled him into a tight hug. Matthew hugged back, and after a moment, parted. He looked at Alfred's smiling face, his eyes trailing down to his lips. He desperately wanted Alfred to kiss him. He knew it wouldn't happen though, and soon enough Alfred pulled away completely.

"See you tomorrow, dude." he said, and crawled through his open window. Matthew shuffled back over to his side and did the same. The two waved at each other before closing their windows. Matthew rested his back against his for a moment, sighing heavily. For some reason, he felt like crying.

It would pass though. It always did. Matthew decided it would be better to just go to bed and forget about everything.

So he did.

**A/N: woo, another chapter! So far so good ^^**

**Poor Al. He can't be strong and heroic all the time. I just wanted to show that. **

**don't worry guys, after this I'll hopefully get back into the main plot. If you can even call this a plot... oh well**


	10. Chapter 10

Today was the day. Matthew and Alfred were finally moving out to college.

Both of them had graduated high school with flying colors, and now they were ready to get a taste of the real world.

Tears were shed and goodbyes murmured, promises made to old high school friends to keep in touch. Matthew knew he would; it was hard for him to let friends go. He wouldn't let them so easily.

After saying goodbye to their parents, the two young men packed into the car, and took off into their new life. They arrived, quickly grabbing their belongings and making their way to the dorm that they would be sharing. They unpacked together, laughing and talking about what they would do first, and the new experiences they would have.

"I can't believe we're actually here bro. After so long, we're finally free." Alfred grinned widely, shoving clothes into drawers.

"I know, it's weird." Matthew chuckled, folding his clothes before putting them in the drawers so they would fit better.

"And tomorrow, first day of classes. I wonder if there are any parties going on," the other added as an after-thought. "That would be totally sweet! Our first college party."

Matthew laughed, "Yeah, but don't forget you'll need to study and be serious some times."

"You're no fun." Alfred pouted, sticking his tongue out.

"Hey, I only said sometimes." Matthew replied, smiling, "The rest of the time, you can be as wild and crazy as you want. Just make sure you don't interrupt me when I'm trying to be serious."

"I highly doubt I'll be able to control myself." Alfred laughed, "You're fun to mess with."

Matthew simply rolled his eyes and put the last of his clothes away.

"Don't give me that." Alfred chuckled, "Now c'mon, let's go explore!" he said excitedly, standing and pulling Matthew to his feet as well. The contact of their skin made Matthew shiver lightly, but he quickly shook his head to clear it, following behind Alfred as they walked out into the hallway.

They wandered around the campus, exploring classes and other rooms. They laughed and talked the whole way.

A few people came up to talk to them and welcome them to the school. A smile stayed on Matthew's face all day; he was so glad everyone was so friendly. He knew he was going to like it here.

"I'm hungry, let's go to the cafeteria." Alfred said after they had been walking around for a while.

"Okay." Matthew agreed, starting to head in the direction of the cafeteria. Soon enough they arrived and stood in the line, collecting their food and paying for it. They sat down at an empty table and started to eat.

"So, what do you think so far?" Alfred asked Matthew, his mouth full.

"I think it's a nice school." Matthew replied, chuckling. Alfred always had the worst manners.

"Yeah, me too. It's gonna be a lot of fun. I'm excited." The American grinned brightly, taking another bite of his hamburger.

"I think so too." Matthew said, Alfred's smile reflected across his face.

"Hello!" A bright voice suddenly interrupted their conversation and both men looked up to see a girl, lunch tray in her hands. "May I sit with you?"

"Sure." Alfred immediately said, smiling at her and she smiled back. She placed her tray down and sat, her light brown hair swishing in the ponytail she had it in.

"My name's Jenna, and I'm new here. Thought I should begin making new friends." she said happily.

"Cool! We're new here too, I'm Alfred, and this is Matthew." Alfred said, gesturing to the blonde boy next to him. Matthew smiled and waved shyly. He was always fairly nervous around new people. This girl didn't seem too bad though. She was very pretty, Matthew noticed.

"Well nice to meet you Al and Matt." she grinned, "What are you guys majoring?"

"I'm doing film and photography." Matthew responded.

"And I haven't quite decided yet." Alfred replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well that's okay! I myself am studying psychology. Should be fun." she said, green eyes sparkling.

"That sounds really cool!" Alfred said, flashing his best smile.

"I know! I'm very excited!" she responded.

The two of them continued talking like this, and Matthew couldn't help but feel a bit left out. He would be glad when they left back to their room.

**A/N: wow, sorry guys, really short chapter this time. I'll try to make the next one longer.**

**Please review! They really help me.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Oh Matt, I'm in love." Alfred grinned, pretending to swoon as he walked back into their dorm room. He had just been on another date with Jenna, and he'd been gone for a good couple of hours. Matthew couldn't help but frown at the book he was reading.

Almost as soon as the two college freshmen met they started dating. Matthew thought it was no big deal, Alfred had dated many girls before, though none of them lasted as long as this. Next month, it would be a year. Being around the two of them at the same time was torture for Matthew; they giggled and held hands and whispered sweet nothings to each other. Matthew knew he was just jealous, but that didn't change the fact that he hated seeing Alfred with the bright, bubbly girl. He was happy for his best friend, he truly was, it just pained him. To see his love, the person of his affection, be so infatuated with someone who wasn't him. He knew it was dumb; he knew long ago that Alfred would never return his feelings. There was no chance it would happen. Matthew had tried and tried to forget his feelings, but they were always there, making an appearance whenever Alfred smiled at him.

"Yo, earth to Mattie. Anybody home?"

Matthew looked up, suddenly seeing Alfred's face peering at his own. "O-oh, sorry. I was distracted. Did you have fun?"

"Mattie you wouldn't believe it. Jenna is so awesome. She is like, the perfect girl for me." Alfred's grin just about killed Matthew's heart, "I think I'm gonna marry her."

Matthew was stunned for a moment, hurt on his face for just a brief moment before he composed himself, smiling weakly at Alfred. "That sounds great Alfred. I'm sure you two will make a happy couple."

"Oh I know we will! And when we get married, I want you to be my best man." Alfred said, a bright smile still on his face.

"I would be honored to." Matthew responded, hoping his voice wouldn't break. It made him happy that Alfred wanted him to be in such an important role, but the thought that he would have to sit through a wedding of his best friend and love, with someone else, crushed him.

"And then when we finish college we can all go out into the world and have our own house and everything! Jenna and I will live together, maybe start a family, all that!" Alfred rambled, " And you can be our neighbor or something, with your boyfriend or husband or whatever! Our kids will be the best of friends, I just know... Hey Matt, is something wrong?" Alfred's face became concerned, seeing how down Matthew looked.

"Huh? O-oh no. I think I may be catching a cold or something." Matthew responded, swallowing thickly.

"Well that's not good. C'mon bro, put the book down and get into bed. I'll get you some ice cream or something. Ice cream always makes me feel better." Alfred said, grabbing Matthew's book and setting it on the desk. Matthew sighed and stood up, making his way over to his bed before lying down on it.

"Alright, I'll be right book with some cold sugary goodness. Don't move." Alfred grinned before opening the door to their dorm and walking out, closing the door behind.

Matthew let a small whimper escape his throat as soon as he was alone, along with a few tears. It wasn't fair. Why couldn't he have a happy ending with Alfred, just as he always dreamed when he was younger? The two of them against the world, no one else. That's how he thought it was going to be. Of course he should've known it wouldn't happen; Alfred was bound to find his true love eventually. How Matthew hated it wasn't him.

He didn't have anything against Jenna; she was sweet and a nice person to be around, and Matthew could see that Alfred loved her a lot. Maybe this was for the best. Maybe this was Matthew's chance to finally get over his feelings for Alfred. Though, in his heart, Matthew didn't want to forget his feelings.

"Okay bro, I'm back!" Matthew heard Alfred walk in, slamming the door behind him. "I got vanilla, cause I know how you like plain boring stuff." the American laughed.

Matthew sat up in bed and gave Alfred a half-hearted smile, "Thanks, Al."

"Anytime, Matt." Alfred responded, handing Matthew a small container of ice cream and a spoon.

"Well eat up! Maybe we can watch a movie or something later, help ya relax." Alfred suggested, and Matthew nodded, taking a bite of his ice cream.

He loved moments like this, where it was nothing but the two of them, and Alfred was completely focused on him. Matthew had the sinking feeling that these days were numbered, but for now he would just smile and take joy in it.

**A/N: wow, holy crap guys it's been a while. I'm so sorry, i've been very busy all summer OTL**


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